Khenmet

Khenmet or Khnumit (fl. c. 1800 BC) was an ancient Egyptian king's daughter of the Twelfth Dynasty.^[1] She is mainly known from her unrobbed tomb containing a set of outstanding personal adornments.

Princess Khenmet is only known from her burial next to the White Pyramid in Dahshur. On the West side of the pyramid were three underground galleries with each of two tombs. Four of these tombs, including those of Khenmet as well as Ita and Itaweret were found unlooted.

Khenmet was buried in a set of three containers. There was an outer, undecorated sarcophagus, next, a wooden coffin, decorated on the outside with gold foil and on the inside with hieroglyphic texts. Finally there was an inner anthropoid coffin, that was found only badly preserved. The body of Khenmet was adorned with an array of jewellery including a broad collar, armlets, and anklets. Next to the body were found many weapons, typical for royal burials of the Middle Kingdom.^[2]

In the small chamber next to the sarcophagus were found further personal adornments. These included two crowns and parts of a necklace made in gold. The latter is most likely not an Egyptian work of art, but was perhaps produced in Crete.

The father of Khenmet is uncertain but since she was buried in the pyramid complex of king Amenemhat II, it seems likely that she was his daughter.

Some researchers point out that the burial equipment is more typical for the late Twelfth Dynasty.^[3][4] The same is true for the pottery found in the burials.^[5]

1. ^ Grajetzki, Wolfram (2014-01-23). Tomb Treasures of the Late Middle Kingdom: The Archaeology of Female Burials. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-4567-7.
2. ^ Jacques de Morgan et al.: Fouilles a Dahchour 1894-1895. Band 2, Holzhausen, Vienna 1903, p. 55-68.
3. ^ Grajetzki, Wolfram (2014-01-23). Tomb Treasures of the Late Middle Kingdom: The Archaeology of Female Burials. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-4567-7.
4. ^ Biri Fay: The Louvre Sphinx and Royal Sculpture from the Reign of Amenemhat II, von Zabern, Mainz 1996, ISBN 3-8053-1760-3, p. 46
5. ^ Dorothea Arnold: The Fragmented Head of a Queen Wearing the Vulture Headdress. In: E. Czerny, I. Hein, H. Hunger, D. Melman, A. Schwab (editors): Timelines, Studies in Honour of Manfred Bietak. Leuven, Paris, Dudley 2006, ISBN 90-429-1730-X, p. 47, note 3.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khenmet.